A criminal ring that smuggled cocaine and cannabis from Europe into south Europe has been shut down by Italian police

Twelve people have been arrested as part of Operation Alter Ego, which saw Caribinieri in Catania catching three men red-handed as they moved boxes of pasta filled with 242kg of cannabis into a vehicle.

Aside from cannabis, cocaine was also being moved, with a total value of €5 million.

The drugs are believed to come from Albania and the Netherlands, and were meant for Sicily and Malta.

The ring is believed to be associated with the mafia, specifically with the Cappello and Bonacorsi families.